You Must Light a Fire
The Chasam Sofer points out that if one does not lead an elevated lifestyle throughout the week, he cannot expect to be affected by the inherent holiness of Shabbos. He says the pasuk at the beginning of the Parshas Vayakheil alludes to this. לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת - do not light a fire in your homes on the day of Shabbos. The Chasam sofer provides us with a deeper understanding of this pasuk. He says that one cannot light the flame of holiness only on the day of Shabbos; he must invest in this holiness throughout the week. It is only when שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה - when a person lives a life of passion for Avodas Hashem all six days of the week, that he can merit וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ - that the seventh day will be holy for him.
(חתם סופר פ' ויקהל תקס''ב)
Indeed, although the intense holiness of Shabbos can actually transform a person and give him a taste of Olam Haba, it is only if he is worthy of these hashpaos.
May we be zoche to the hashpaos of the special gift called "Shabbos", as a result of sanctifying and observing it כָּרָאוּי לוֹ. And in through shmiras Shabbos may we finally merit the יוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת, and speedily see נֶחָמַת צִיּוֹן וִירוּשָׁלַיִם. אָמֵן.
אַ גוּט שַׁבָּת
